Rhythm & Music
by herdingkites
Summary: A modern day S&S. When Annabelle and Douglas Dean die unexpectedly it leaves their three daughters penniless and homeless and they must find a way to survive without them. A story about family, friendship, music and most of all love in unexpeted places.
1. Prelude

_Prelude_

* * *

><p>For as long as any of the daughters of Douglas and Annabelle Dean could remember they had lived in the lap of luxury. Their mansion on the Sunshine Coast of Australia had always had been their home, with its many rooms, ocean view and exclusive beach. They had never wanted for anything and received whatever they asked for. In short, they were living a leisurely life with not a care in the world. Both Douglas and Annabelle had been part of the privileged society, their families wealthy from a successful law firm and car dealership respectively.<p>

Despite their wealth, the Dean children were neither snobbish nor condescending. The eldest of the three girls was named Elle. She, like most elder siblings, had the privilege of acting like a second mother to her younger siblings, despite the small age gap between her and the second eldest, Maya. She and Maya had always been close growing up, though being shyer and more withdrawn than her younger sister she was often over-looked. Maya liked to take charge and many foolhardy schemes she dreamed up led her elder sister to more trouble than she would have found alone. The two were thick as thieves and (although they were not short of friends and admirers) were each other's best friends. The unexpected arrival of their younger sister Maisy when Maya was six and Elle eight caused things to change and Maya, despite her wild nature, become somewhat of a protector to Maisy.

Throughout the years, the two eldest daughters were thrown in the spotlight, though for different reasons. Both attended a prestigious private academy; open to only those of celebrity status and those with enough money to buy a small European country. Elle gained infamy for her quiet and subdued ways and her shocking preference to read books and volunteer at various charities rather than attending wild parties and mingle with other socialites. Maya was unfortunately the complete opposite and enjoyed partying, shopping and flirting far too much for most people's tastes. If Elle was sensible then Maya was certainly sensual and only took pleasure in playing the piano at her lessons once a week, the only night she was not engaged for a social outing.

After Elle's graduation, she casually studied a Bachelor of Arts majoring in English part-time while writing short stories and novellas for the rest of her time, dreaming of becoming an author in her own right without her father influencing anyone. Maya had no intention of settling down and continued to party with the new breed of socialites climbing the corporate ladder and the celebrities' children clawing for their own fame. By the time that Elle and Maya were 23 and 21 respectively the younger had been known to have slept with more men than the elder had read books and Maisy, only 15, was set on a warpath not dissimilar to Maya's.

However, it only takes a moment to change everything, and a moment was all it took to turn the world of the Dean's upside-down forever.


	2. A Change of Tempo

_Chapter 01 - A Change of Tempo_

* * *

><p>The only sounds that could be heard in the home of the Dean's this Thursday night were the gentle rushing of the waves against the shore only a short distance from the house and the gentle tinkling of piano keys from the music room on the first floor. The night was quiet, still and the air was pleasantly cool as spring was upon them. It was not long until the spell was broken and there came a loud, forceful knock on the front door. The tinkling of keys stopped and a girl emerged from the music room, an annoyed frown on her face. She strolled through the kitchen and entrance hall to emerge in front of the door just as another girl; similar in looks appeared at the top of the stairs.<p>

The girl at the top of the stairs was Elle Dean, her hair pulled back in its customary messy bun and she wore her customary (of late) disapproving expression. "Is Andre here? It's only seven Maya, you promised Maisy you'd help her do her hair for tomorrow," she scolded, to which Maya, the girl at the door rolled her eyes.

"Andre could be the next _Bonds_ model," she replied with emphasis. "Besides, Maisy shouldn't be trying to impress some jerk who obviously isn't worth her time."

Before her older sister could point out the hypocrisy of the statement, Maya turned back and yanked open the large double doors with a flourish and a charming smile, which froze almost as soon as the doors opened. Unless Andre had aged twenty years and now sported ginger hair and an impressive moustache, then her date was certainly not early.

Elle rushed down the stairs and joined her younger sister at the door. There was no mistaking it. A man and a woman stood at the front door, both wearing matching light-blue shirts with the same emblem and protocol navy pants tucked into solid black boots, thick black belts along their waists with guns in the holsters. Maya paled and swallowed thickly as if she had a marshmallow lodged in her throat, wondering if Nathan (the first and only man to dump Maya Dean) had found out what she'd done to his new Ferrari.

Composed as ever, Elle greeted the two police officers and asked rather politely if they had done something wrong. The older gent with the ginger hair looked grim and his young and quite attractive partner smiled reassuringly before answering, "Of course not. We'd just like to come in for a little chat, if that's okay?"

"Of course," Elle said quickly, casting an enquiring glance at her sheepish-looking younger sister. The two police officers entered, removing their hats. They looked around in barely concealed awe as they were lead through to the downstairs lounge (there were four in the house, after all).

The two officers settled themselves uncomfortably on the chic black leather couches, casting their eyes around the room which was clearly decorated with not only stylish, but incredibly expensive furniture, not to mention the flat screen television attached to the wall which looked like it could be seen from outer space. The woman leaned forward, smiling friendlily in a disarming manner and Maya exchanged a worried look with her sister, dark brown meeting hazel. "I'm Constable Adams and this is my partner Constable Grey. Are you girls' twins?" Constable Adams asked with interest, obviously trying to put them at ease.

"Elle's older than me by two years," Maya said uneasily, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You look very alike," she replied with another smile. "Is your other sister home?"

The sisters exchanged another look. "Has she done something wrong?" Maya asked tightly, ever fiercely protective of her younger sister.

"No, not at all," she was reassured by both the constables, before they asked if she could come to sit with them also. Elle fetched her and shortly all the Dean's sat together on one of the chic couches, exchanging worried glances between them.

Constable Grey cleared his throat before looking between all three of them, that same grim expression on his face. "Miss Dean," he directed this at Elle. "Your father drives a Lexus IS250 convertible, dark blue, number plate DGD-45A, correct?"

Maya's heart beat faster and her stomach dropped, making her feel queasy. Maisy looked confused and Elle's reaction was similar to that of Maya's. "Yes," she whispered. "He got it last year, when he gave his Audi to Maya. Did he—did he get a ticket, o-or something?"

The constables looked at each other sadly. Constable Adams leaned over and placed a hand on Elle's knee, looking earnestly into her eyes. "Your father and mother have been in an accident girls. They collided with a truck and… well girls, they died immediately."

Elle was silent, pale and resolved. Maya cried silently, both dignified in their grief and she reached for Maisy's hand. Maisy snatched it away and said, quietly but firmly. "No. _No._ Mum and dad… they're not dead they're… they're coming home and mum and me are going to the movies tomorrow night and—and…" she faltered, looking at her older sisters before shutting her mouth with a snap, tears shining in her eyes. She turned determinedly to the two police officers and said in that same firm voice, "Fuck you. Fuck you both" before turning away and leaving the room quickly.

"I'm sorry," Maya apologised softly, before getting up and following her younger sister, leaving Elle there, still and silent.

It only took a moment and yet everything was falling apart.

* * *

><p><em>Elle and her parents watched as her two younger sisters played in the small waves at the edge of the water, building sandcastles and chasing each other around. It wasn't that Elle wasn't fun or didn't want to play, but she and her mother were talking about important things because as of today she was thirteen and all grown up.<em>

_Her mother was beautiful and had for some time been a model though she had no real passion for it. She was of average height and slim with hair the colour of wheat and deep brown eyes much like her sister Maya. They stretched out together under a beach umbrella, her dad on the other side of Elle, book over his face as he slept. He was not very tall for a man (about 5'9") and was well-built with a head of thick brown hair that was only just starting to grey at the temples. He was handsome too and together they made a very breathtaking pair. _

_Her mother adjusted her sunglasses and said to Elle, "You're growing up so fast, Elle. Soon you're going to want to leave me and your old dad behind."_

_Elle shook her head vehemently. "I don't want to live anywhere but here with you mum!"_

"_You say that now baby," Annabelle continued, looking at her daughter with a sad smile. "But you'll leave one day, start a family of your own. But you know what?"_

"_What?"_

"_Just for now, we can pretend that things will always stay the same."_

"_But they don't," said Elle dubiously, watching as Maisy unsuccessfully added more sand to the castle she was making with her sister, causing the top of it to break up a little._

"_Well you know one thing that will never change…" her mum trailed off and the young girl looked at her questioningly before she was tackled in a big, tight hug, her mum's arms wrapped around her like an octopus' tentacles. "How much I love you!"_

"_I love you too, mum," she replied, closing her own arms around her mother contentedly. She wished every day could be like this, happy with her mum, dad, Maya and Maisy all with her. More than anything, she wished things wouldn't have to change, because she never wanted to leave her parents and sisters. Elle felt like she could conquer the world when she had them with her._

"_Hey, where's my hug?" Douglas Dean, the father who had just awoken, asked sleepily and was soon set upon by his wife and eldest daughter who hugged him fiercely before both silently agreeing that a good tickling was in order for dad._

_It was a good day. Elle wished all days, not just her birthday, could be like this._

* * *

><p>The next week passed them by in a blur. Maisy isolated herself silent and sullen from the world, including the friends she had been associating with (something her older sisters were grateful for despite their grief) and shut herself in her room with her laptop and iPod for company. Maya played sad songs almost non-stop on the piano, her grief open for the world to see as she cried tears after tears while Elle, as always, hid her sadness and tried to keep busy, arranging for her parent's funerals.<p>

It was not until after her parents were buried one afternoon that a solicitor who worked for her father came to visit. He was an old family friend name Thomas Reeves who had attended school with her father and they had been friends ever since. He took them home after the funeral whereupon he lingered and asked Elle, who seemed most reasonable, if he might talk to her about her parents' wills.

After Elle and Thomas settled down in the kitchen for coffee, Thomas explained that their mother and father had both divided their interests into three equal parts for each of their girls. "Their intention," Thomas continued, looking at the eldest Dean gravely through his rather round glasses. "Was that the money intended for Maisy would go into a trust until she is eighteen and that you and Maya would receive your money immediately. However, your father…"

Thomas paused looking uneasy and Elle felt alarm creep up to her, slowly but surely. Their friend had never lied to them before or wronged them, so if he was uneasy about something then it could surely not be good. Reaching across the table, Elle covered his weathered hand with her own. "What is it Uncle Thomas?" she asked softly, squeezing his hand reassuringly.

"Oh pet," the old man murmured worriedly, covering her hand with his other as well. "I should have stopped him sooner, but I couldn't. I was weak, convinced he would stop. But he didn't. Elle, dear, your father had a fondness for horses."

Elle frowned. "Well, yes, he always loved the races. What's that got to do with anything?"

"He loved them a little _too_ much, pet. My dear, your father is in debt to many people. Badly in debt," Thomas told her gently, though Elle felt the sting deep within her. She felt cold, like all the warmth had been sucked from her body. Her father was the most successful businessman in Queensland, even in the country. There was no way he could be in debt. It _had_ to be untrue.

"How much?" she whispered, still not quite believing what Thomas was saying.

"I'm afraid it's very badly. I can't help; I would ruin myself in trying to do so. I've thought long and hard about this my dear. You will have to sell everything. The house (and all the furniture in it), your cars and the holiday house on the Whitsunday's. With any luck you will be able to keep other things like laptops and clothes and still have enough to buy you a new car and some money for rent," Thomas let that all sink in, his greyish eyes filled with helplessness. "I will do all I can for you, however I think once this gets out you will be shamed and shunned. My only advice is to move far away. My brother, he says he knows a cheap apartment block in Canberra that isn't too shabby and he could get you a rent discount because he knows the people."

"Our home is here," A sharp voice came from the doorway and Maya strode into the room looking angry. "We won't be shamed out of the city! We can't leave. We've lived in Cairns our entire life and you expect us to just leave! Uncle Thomas, surely you must understand how devastating this is?"

"Think of it Maya," Elle murmured, biting her lip with worry. "Do you think Andre will want to have anything to do with you? Miranda? Naomi? None of them will want to know us when we have _nothing_. You know that."

"Everything is changing," Maya whispered, going from outrage to despair in mere seconds (as she had always been a girl of extremes). "What about Maisy? How will she cope with this? Elle, what are we going to do?"

Elle was used to having to be the one to make the tough choices. She was used to pulling Maya up on her outlandish behaviour and refusing to let Maisy out of the house in an outfit that was too scandalous. She could look after them as she always had, but that didn't make it any easier. It didn't seem fair that at the age of twenty-three she was to actually _be_ mother to her two younger sisters. But, as ever, Elle was going to do all she could.

"We need to sell and we need to leave, Maya," she murmured and her younger sister, seeming to wilt down to the very ends of her perfectly curled chestnut locks, walked forward and put an arm around her older sister with a sigh.

Thomas Reeves took in the scene with a mixture of despair and pride. What would become of the Dean girls he did not know, but he knew that if nothing, they had each other. Sentimentality aside, he cleared his throat and said, "Well my dears, I will help you to sell it all and then we'll go from there, won't we?"

The two girls nodded, both looking as if the weight of the world was on their shoulders. The girls, however prudent, had never had to fend for themselves. There would be jobs to find, rent to pay and school to organise. How were they ever going to manage?

* * *

><p>The day the girls were set to leave their home was also the day the piano sold. Maya had surprised Elle as she had held herself together well for the past two weeks but seeing the piano being taken away in to a van by three burly men set her off into a wave of despair. She had been sobbing the whole morning and was not able to be consoled even by the news that they would not have to sell any clothes or electronics they possessed.<p>

Maisy was still not talking to anyone, her mood becoming even blacker with the prospect of moving and the only thing she had said since their father's funeral was "No. Way" to the new car they had bought second hand, something called a Honda Jazz, which of course none of the girls had heard of; costing an eighth of what a car would normally cost the Dean's.

Eventually, the three young women emerged from the house and Maisy, without casting a look back, strode to the car and sat in the back seat as she slammed the door behind her. Elle sighed and looked up at the house, feeling like it wasn't even their house any more. Maya stood beside her, tears running down her face and hand clasped in Elle's tightly. "How can I learn to love another place as much as I've loved this house?" she whispered softly. "How can I when no other places have such memories of us, of mum and dad? It will all be here still and we won't be and I can't stand it!"

Elle the hand she held in hers and looked at her sister then rested her head on Maya's. "We had to leave, dearest," she replied softly, though she too felt the deep melancholy that Maya expressed.

"I know," Maya sighed forlornly, her eyes taking in the house as if she could commit every detail to memory and keep it with her always. "And somehow I'm glad. I couldn't be here and see who lived here. Probably jumped up bogans who won the lottery. Still, I'll miss the house, the beach… most of all, I miss mum and dad. I miss them a lot."

Despite the fact their father had gambled away all the money leading them into this predicament, the Dean's couldn't hate him. A life built on love and trust cannot be dissolved in a second, whatever the circumstance. Elle straightened, breathed deeply and dug the keys to the car out of her pocket. "Well, to Canberra then," she announced as cheerfully as she could, walking off to the car and getting in the passenger seat.

Maya still stood there, talking one last look at the house, at the way the wind blew and made the chimes on the veranda sing and the waves crashing on the shore. She could almost, if she closed her eyes and tried really hard, hear her father laughing as he cooked on the barbeque and her mother singing as she would on a day like this, at home in the sun.

"Goodbye mum and dad," she whispered before wiping her eyes and jogging over to the car, throwing one last wistful look over her shoulder before getting in and buckling her seatbelt. She looked over at Elle, and then behind her at Maisy, who had her iPod in and was pretending to be asleep. This was her family now and she was going to hold on to them for as long as possible.

However, things were going to change more dramatically than any of the girls had ever envisioned.

* * *

><p><strong>Authors Note &amp; Disclaimer;<strong>

_Hi everyone! Er, well, I'm a wee bit nervous about this attempt at modernised Jane Austen. I hope you all like it, though I am very anxious to see the reaction to this. For one, it's not set in England. I don't live in England (no matter how much I wish) and I wanted to write what I knew (despite knowing next to nothing about the life of the rich an famous in Australia). I was extremely nervous about putting a Jane Austen in Australia, but here's the thing - Austen's novels are so universal and their messages are still so important today. So in the end I just said bugger it and here you are. But it's also a modernised version of Sense & Sensibilty which isn't Austen's most popular novel or the one that's been adapted into modern versions often and so there was a chance I'd get it completely wrong._

_But I love Austen. I love Sense & Sensibility and the story of family, sisters and love being completely the opposite of what we sometimes expect. Anyway, I'll stop rambling now._

_Don't know how often updates will be even though I've got a fair whack of the story written, but I will optimistically say less than monthly more than fortnightly? We'll see, so don't hold me to my word._

_And onto the disclaimer: I really wish I owned a brilliant piece of literature like Sense & Sensibility, but I do not. Anything that appears in this story that is recognisable i.e. lyrics, brands, products etc. also do not belong to me._


	3. Overture

_Chapter 02 – Overture_

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><p>The trip to Canberra was long and tedious with Maya and Elle taking it in turns to switch drivers every so often so the other could rest while Maisy stayed resolutely silent, either turning her music up to an obscene level or texting away on her phone. After the first five hours of trying to cajole the youngest girl from her mood, they gave up and talked amongst themselves about nothing of substance, straying away from those topics they would have to talk about once they arrived at their new home.<p>

The trip took them four days and roughly thirty or so hours of driving, stopping every night at the cheap budget motels they'd booked in advance. By the last day everyone was tired, cranky and even Maisy had broken her vow of silence to complain that it was taking too long and they never should have left (repeatedly, every hour until they reached the outskirts of Canberra).

It was very different to Cairns. While Cairns was humid and almost always warm, even in the wintertime, Canberra had a cool, dry feel to it. It wasn't pretty and there wasn't the constant comforting smell of the ocean to make them feel welcome, only the smell of rain coming not far away. It was a city built around hills and lakes, not the beach and sugar cane fields. It was too different from what they were used to and all three girls felt the loss of their home now more than ever. This was real; their new home almost like a foreign land in their own country.

"How could dad do this to us? I _hate _this," Maisy hissed from the back seat as Maya read the road map in front of her, giving Elle directions. "And I hate him for doing this!"

"Maisy!" Elle exclaimed in shock, almost taking a wrong turn off the roundabout. "Don't say things like that, it's terrible! You should be ashamed of yourself."

The chastised fifteen year-old set her jaw and looked out the window with a huff, though not quite able to hide the tears coming to her eyes. "Turn right down here Elle," Maya murmured before twisting around in her seat and placing a hand on her younger sister's knee. "It's hard, I know it is. I hate this too, but we've got to stick together now, don't we? You can yell about dad all you want when we get there and I'll listen, okay?"

Maisy sniffed and nodded and Elle stopped at an intersection, looking around as the light turned red. "In the meantime, why don't you get angry at Uncle Thomas for sending us hours away without a GPS?" she asked with a slight smile, looking at her other sister in the rear-view mirror as she laughed slightly.

"I'll have you know, I'm a fantastic navigator," Maya replied, very affronted as she straightened out the road map with a flourish. "Both Ben and Andre said so."

Maisy snickered. "Right, when you had to find your way to the bedroom?"

Maya and Elle both looked scandalised before Elle, glancing in the mirror again at her youngest sister's poker face before her shoulders began to shake and she began to laugh heartily and soon she was joined by Maisy while Maya looked affronted. "Well, sometimes it was the kitchen floor," she added defensively, before bursting out into laughter herself.

Ten minutes later, when the three girls had laughed themselves silly and finally regained composure Elle found the place. Thomas Reeves' brother John owned a small cluster of flats in one of Canberra's outer-suburbs and had offered one to the three girls for a low cost. Provided they got jobs within the next month, they would be able to continually pay the fortnightly rent, Maisy's school fees (which Thomas was going to help with) and live quite comfortably.

The flats were like old people's village homes. They were compact, not overly imaginative and all the same. John Reeves and his wife lived in one while three were occupied (unsurprisingly by older people) and the last was vacant for the girls. So they were to live in a small, unimaginative brick hut until they managed to save enough to do otherwise.

As soon as the three girls stepped out of the vehicle, they were greeted by a loud, jovial voice and were soon confronted by a man who had very little resemblance to their friend Thomas except for perhaps the colour of his eyes. He was tall, had probably been lithe and strong when he was young, but now he was about fifty he'd grown fat and relaxed. He had laugh lines crinkling at the corners of his eyes and mouth and wore a blue shearer's singlet, a pair of worn out shorts and some thongs*.

"Ah, the Dean girls! Been expecting you for the past hour. Didn't get lost, did you? Nah didn't think you would, the place isn't too hard to find. I'm John by the way, but most people call me Reevsey. You don't have to if you don't want to, but don't expect me to lift my head the first time you call!" All this was said in almost one breath, and 'Reevsey looked at them expectantly when he'd finished.

The girls all exchanged a glance before Elle cleared her throat and said, "I'm Elle, that's Maisy and this is Maya. Thank you for agreeing to let us have the place, I hope it wasn't too much trouble."

"Not at all, not at all, always willing to help a mate in need," Reevsey replied with a wink. "Now, there's a garage for your car off your place and the furniture's all in there. Thom said you'd have your own sheets and things, so I didn't get anything for you. The missus wants you over for dinner at seven if you're not too tired and some of the other folks will be around too so you can meet them."

"That would be lovely, thank you J- er, Reevsey."

"Right then, see you in an hour," he returned, fishing into the pocket of his shorts for a set of keys before handing them over to Elle, then was off with a wave of his hand.

In the hour between arriving at their flat (number 5, only distinguishable by the small metal '5' on the mailbox) and going to dinner at the Reeves' the girls moved all their bags into their new home. It was a typical small apartment, with and open plan kitchen and lounge room with a connecting room which housed a big bedroom which was connected to a smaller bedroom and bathroom. Maisy was rather disgruntled at the small size of the second room and had said that Elle and Maya could share the Queen bed in the bigger bedroom and tough luck if the latter wanted to have sleep-overs with her newest boy toy.

When it was finally time to go to dinner everyone's nerves (especially Elle's) were fraught. The past hour had seen Maisy constantly moaning about the size of her bedroom, bed and the fact that there was only one bathroom that didn't even have a bathtub, only a shower. They turned up at the Reeves' flat and were received warmly once more by Reevsey.

"Come in girls, come in! Just been throwing a few snags on the barbie** – none of you are those fancy vegetarians are you?" he asked as he threw open the door, now wearing a rather loudly printed Hawaiian shirt over his shorts, evidently dressed for the occasion. "Marg's already here, she's out the back having a drink. She lives one up from you girls, a nice old duck."

He continued to speak as they walked through the kitchen out to the backyard which was much bigger than the kitchen/dining area and had a nice outdoor setting where a stout woman (perhaps in her late sixties) sat, smoking a cigarette and laughing merrily at something the younger woman (presumably Mrs Reeves) attending the barbeque.

Mrs Reeve's was younger than her husband, probably forty or so. She was a warm, kind looking woman, curvaceous rather than fat like her husband and had a small amount of creases in her face. She was probably once very beautiful, but not in the icy-cold way that the girls were used too. The stout older lady who the girls took to be 'Marg' was also very kind looking and had a very loud and genuine laugh. Her hair was dyed black like she was resisting old age and her eyes constantly twinkled as if she was privately amused by something.

It was Marg who first noticed the girls. "Who are these pretty young things Reevsey? You didn't tell me we were expecting visitors tonight!" she announced, hauling herself off her chair and tottering over to them with a wide smile. "Look at you three! You must be the Dean girls, yes?"

Her smile was contagious and despite the foul mood all three girls arrived in they couldn't help but feel their spirits lifted somewhat by these kind people. "We are," Elle agreed. One by one they introduced themselves and Marg, who was really called Margaret Jennings but hated her full name, took a shining to Elle and pulled her over to the table so she could ask all about the three new arrivals.

Mrs Reeves arrived at a more sedate pace as Elle was dragged over and introduced herself as Anna. "I'm glad you all arrived safely," she said softly, and something in her air immediately reminded Maya of her mother. "I was sorry to hear of your loss. I didn't know you parents that well, but they were very kind people."

Maya smiled and Maisy rolled her eyes, saying, "Well, they were until they left us _nothing_." Maya looked sharply at her sister before Anna shook her head and said that it was fine, asking Maisy to go help John with the barbeque and Maya to help with the salads.

The Dean's were welcomed into the family atmosphere almost immediately. Elle, though somewhat taken-aback by Marg and her garrulous personality, felt herself feeling relaxed, like she didn't have to worry about anything for a while. Maya, who had always been closest to their mother, basked in the affection Anna showed her and was happy to help anyway she could. Maisy became relaxed grudgingly, not able to completely stop enjoying herself around Reevsey and Marg as they chattered and joked.

As dinner was about to be served, Anna looked unhappily around. "Chris should have been here by now," she said to her husband, who simply shrugged.

"He had to see Gemma and Peter off to the airport, they were going home today. He probably just got held up in traffic," he explained, setting the plat of sausages and steak onto the middle of the table while Maya and Anna set down the salads.

"Who's Chris?" Maisy asked curiously as she sat next to Marg, who had Elle to her right.

"Oh Chris!" Marg cooed as she put a spoonful of potato salad on her plate. "Chris used to live here when he was in University. A lovely boy, isn't he Anna? Always was a favourite of mine, our Chris. It is a shame he had to leave us, but I suppose he needed somewhere closer to the school."

"Chris is a teacher at the high school in Belconnen. He was dropping his sister off at the airport tonight, which is probably why he's late," Anna explained as they all served themselves dinner.

"A very nice young man, but very quiet and severe sometimes, isn't he Reevsey?" Marg asked, but continued without waiting for a reply. "A shame he's still single, such a nice young man though. Quite a catch I think." The last comment was directed pointedly at Elle, who seemed unaware, though Maya caught the reference and bit back laughter with a gulp of juice.

"Have you girls got yourselves some nice men back home?" Marg continued again. Elle shook her head and Maya scowled as she thought of the fifteen texts and seven calls Andre had ignored from her.

Outwardly, all three simply said no.

* * *

><p>After dinner, they all retired to the lounge room as the air grew too cold outside to sit there any longer. The girls were asked about home and their plans, which made Elle grow anxious and fidgety, so Maya desperately tried to find something to change the subject. Looking around the room, she glanced at a small keyboard, pushed up against the wall and gathering dust. "Oh, you have a keyboard Anna? Maybe we should have some music?" she asked tactfully, distracting Elle and the others from talk of the impending future.<p>

"None of us can play it though," Reevsey said after taking a swig of his beer. "Only our youngest could, but she gave it up before she got any good."

"Maya can play though," Maisy told them enthusiastically, for she enjoyed listening to her older sister. "And she can sing too!"

Marg's eyes lit up. "Well, we _must _hear you play then!" she announced, looking like she had some joke going that everyone else was unaware of. "All of us love some music. Do you know any nice love songs? I do adore love songs!"

Maya was, above anything else, a hopeless romantic. She loved soaring, sweeping love songs found in musicals and ballads that spoke of the pain of the soul. Despite her appetite for the physical relationship, she still was naïve and believed in true love (something she confided in to only Elle, who listened patiently despite her own scepticism). "A few," she said simply, standing and turning on the small keyboard, pressing a few keys experimentally. It sounded nothing like the grand piano they'd had at their home in Cairns.

She felt a creeping sadness as she pulled a chair towards the keyboard to sit and knew what she wanted to play. She cleared her throat and turned towards everyone (for the keyboard was situated in such a way that her back was turned to her audience) and smiled. "This one's one of Elle's favourites and one of mine. It's not strictly a love song, but I think you'll still enjoy it," she told them, before turning back to the keyboard and placing her fingers and playing the opening chords softly.

Then, she began to sing. "_You were once my one companion, you were all that mattered. You were once a friend and father, then my world was shattered_…" She continued to play, feeling sad as she played the familiar chords and thought of the unspoken words she had shared with her sisters – this was their mother's favourite song and now, the song had more meaning. They were both gone.

"_Wishing you were somehow here again, wishing you were somehow near… Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed, somehow you would be here… Wishing I could hear your voice again, knowing that I never would… Dreaming of you won't help me to do, all that you dreamed I could…_"

Maya was talented on the piano and her singing was pleasant though not unique, but that did not detract from the enjoyment of those listening to her. It was as she began the second verse of the song, unnoticed by the performer, a man slipped into the room silently. He watched, almost entranced as she continued to sing, noticed only by Elle and Marg.

Still, she was unaware. "_Passing bells and sculpted angels, cold and monumental, seem for you the wrong companion, you were warm and gentle… Too many years, fighting back tears, why can't the past just die?_"

As Maya continued into the last chorus Elle observed the new-comer. He was tall and broad-shouldered, not altogether attractive but the look of earnest interest on his face as he watched Maya play seemed to make him more so. He was probably in his mid-thirties, his eyes a shade of hazel green and his hair dark brown, almost black, with a slight curl to it. She wondered if this was Chris and knew that Maya had added another man to her list of admirers – and he hadn't even seen her face.

"_Wishing you were somehow here again, knowing we must say goodbye… Try to forgive, teach me to live, give me the strength to try… No more memories, no more silent tears, no more gazing across the wasted years… Help me say goodbye, help me say goodbye!_" as the song ended, Maya straightened and surreptitiously wiped the tears from her eyes as the occupants of the room applauded her loudly, Reevsey even whistling appreciatively.

"Chris! We didn't see you there!" Marg announced loudly and Maya turned around, noticing for the first time the man leaning against the doorframe. Marg had of course noticed him and had noticed the same thing that Elle had, yet she was less subtle than they younger woman. "Wasn't our Maya a lovely singer? She played so well too!"

Maya, who was very proud of her accomplishments and usually basked in praise felt unusually uncomfortable under Chris' scrutiny. "It was an easy song to play Marg," she assured the other woman uneasily.

"You did play rather well," Chris assured her solemnly and Marg chuckled making a remark about Maya looking rather well too that made the young woman flare a bright red and Chris look extremely uncomfortable.

Elle, noticing this, cleared her throat and lightly touched Maisy on the shoulder. "We should probably go," she said softly, looking around the room with a small smile. "Maisy has to check out the school tomorrow and Maya and I both have job hunting to do. It was really nice to meet you all."

"Not at all dear, not at all!" Reevsey exclaimed. "But Maya, didn't you say earlier that you were looking for a new piano teacher? I'm sure Chris would be happy to give you some lessons, wouldn't you?"

Maya and Chris were both aware of what was going on and felt uncomfortable, the former by the thought of being set up in such a way with a man who was too old for her and probably not interested in her and the latter because he knew John Reeves could read him like an open book. "That wouldn't be necessary, I'm sure Reevsey," Maya assured him hurriedly.

"Oh? But Chris is a music teacher and before he had to quit he was on his way to becoming a very great concert pianist! Don't look at me like that, it's true!" Reevsey huffed as Chris looked at him, a pained expression on his features.

Maya raised her eyebrows in surprise, but said nothing and was soon pressed into taking Chris' number and the three Dean's left, all feeling exhausted and perplexed.

"The poor man!" Maya huffed as she crumpled up the paper with Chris' number on it, stuffing it into her pocket. "He probably knew they were trying to set him up! How embarrassing, at my age and at his age! Besides, it was clear he was uncomfortable and wasn't interested at _all!_"

Elle laughed. "Maya, he wasn't that old. Besides, I'm sure they meant well." She neglected to mention that she could see for sure that Chris was certainly attracted to her younger sister. She had seen the look on his face as she turned from the piano and while she played. It was clear to everyone (except her sister, evidently) that he had been quite taken with her.

"You should probably still consider lessons," Maisy said as they arrived home. "He was nice, and if he was a really good player then maybe he could help you learn how to write some songs like you were always trying to get Edgar to?"

"Maybe," Maya said noncommittally before yawning. "In any case, I'm tired and I got an email saying I have an interview at that café that was advertising online. Better get some beauty sleep."

"You'll need it," Maisy quipped and the girls all laughed, not feeling so bad as they walked into the flat. They all felt that they might be fine, eventually.

* * *

><p>The next day was a dreary Sunday, the clouds threatening rain but nothing ever coming of it. Reevsey had said that morning that it was typical spring weather. Elle had gone grocery shopping with Maisy then they had gone to the closest high school (happily not where Chris worked, otherwise the insinuation from Marg and Reevsey would have been merciless) and Maya had been hired as a full time waitress at a café called Tasty Treats due to her skill with a coffee machine (because thankfully their dad had always loved proper coffee and had a full café-style machine that only he and Maya had ever mastered).<p>

Maisy had admitted the school was quite nice and on the return of the three sisters everyone was triumphant and happy. "I'm going out to celebrate," Maya announced as soon as she returned home, later than the other as she had been forced to take public transport. "The girls who worked at the café invited me out for drinks and dancing, so I thought I'd take them up on the offer."

Elle frowned from her station at the kitchen, cooking something that smelled delicious. "Are you sure that's a good idea? You do have to work tomorrow, don't you?" she asked disapprovingly as her younger sister shimmied into their shared bedroom.

"I promise I'll be good," she called sweetly and Maisy, who sat on the worn couch playing a game on her laptop, snorted condescendingly, muttering something that sounded like 'as if'.

"Well, are you staying for dinner? I made pasta."

"Probably," was her response. "Where did you put my pink heels? Are they in the wardrobe?"

This continued back and forth until dinner was served and Maya emerged from the bedroom in what Maisy called her 'armour'. A strapless form-fitting black dress that left nothing to the imagination was her wardrobe choice this evening with ridiculously tall pink strappy heels and makeup that looked like it had been applied with a trowel. "Really, Maya?" Elle asked exasperatedly when she sat at the table with a self-satisfied smile.

"How else do you think I'm going to get my drinks paid for tonight? I don't want to waste our money," Maya pointed out prudently as she twirled some fettuccine around her fork.

Maisy giggled and Elle silenced her with a look before continuing. "I don't want you back too late. If you make a bad impression on your boss on the first day… well, I just don't think it's a good idea."

"Elle. Please. This isn't the 19th century. I'm 21 years-old and I'm hot. I need this. Just something to take my mind off everything."

Elle grudgingly agreed and was soon conned into dropping her younger sister off in front of a sleazy looking club. "Take a taxi home!" she called out the window, and Maya waved at her nonchalantly as she walked away, before showing her ID to a bouncer and flouncing through the doors.

Somehow Elle still wasn't convinced this was entirely a good idea. She had a bad feeling about tonight, something she just couldn't put her finger on. Shaking herself, she looked in the rear-view mirror at herself, taking in her sour expression. She sighed, then pulled away from the curb, putting it down to anxiousness. It's not like Maya was going to die in a car accident too.


End file.
